Lidl–Trek wants to take a new step up in the Giro with the "best Ciccone ever", Pedersen expected to reignite rivalry with Van Aert

The climber, hugely popular within the team, is being put forward as Lidl–Trek’s GC leader. The 30-year-old Italian heads into the Giro in excellent shape, having just taken a stage win at the Tour of the Alps, something the team is certainly pleased to see. In the past, he has already claimed three stage wins in the Giro and took home the mountains jersey in 2019.

The team hopes to surprise with their ever-smiling Italian, they told IDLProCycling.com. “He’s better than ever,” said team manager Luca Guercilena. “We have the ambition to win, not to ride for fifth or sixth place. That makes no sense. If he stays as strong and competitive as he is now and keeps improving, he will have our full support in that goal.”

Alongside Ciccone, Mads Pedersen is also one of the key figures for the team. The Dane, who impressed this spring with a win at Gent–Wevelgem and podium finishes at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix, was initially disappointed. He had hoped to ride the Tour de France but wasn’t included in the preliminary selection.

Still, there’s little reason for him to complain about the Giro d’Italia. The route offers plenty of opportunities for the former world champion to shine, with multiple flat stages tailored to his strengths. We can definitely look forward to some thrilling battles between Pedersen and Wout van Aert, and who knows, maybe the pink jersey will already be within reach during the opening weekend in Albania.

With Ciccone and Pedersen named as the team’s two key riders, Lidl–Trek’s Giro squad is beginning to take shape. Also selected is 22-year-old Mathias Vacek. The young Czech didn’t have the best spring campaign, but if he can recapture his form from last fall, he’s definitely someone to watch on many of the Giro’s stages.

Alongside Vacek, the team will also bring Patrick Konrad, Søren Kragh Andersen, Jacopo Mosca, Carlos Verona, and Dutch powerhouse Daan Hoole. These riders will mostly be working in support of the team leaders over the course of three weeks across Italy. And while Hoole made the cut, two other Dutch riders missed out.

Namely, Sam Oomen and Bauke Mollema. Both recently raced in the Tour of the Alps and the Tour de Romandie, but unfortunately didn’t make Lidl–Trek’s Giro lineup. Mollema, in particular, will be disappointed. At 38, the veteran knows there won’t be many more chances to start a grand tour, and he had hoped to go stage hunting in Italy to complete his Giro–Tour–Vuelta hat-trick: a stage win in each of the three grand tours.